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JASON YORK, QMI Agency

OTTAWA - Many people are picking the Senators to finish in or near the basement of the Eastern Conference as this young team begins its journey building back into becoming a legitimate contender.

Ottawa fans aren’t stupid. People realize building a good team takes time and this season will have its fair share of peaks and valleys as this young team battles night in and night out for respect.

Many people get way too excited about how young players play in NHL exhibition games and expect these players to light it up once the puck is dropped for real in the regular season.

Players with tons of upside — like Mika Zibanejad and Stephane Da Costa — cannot be expected to be front-line players right away. If they somehow can, that is a fantastic bonus.

Many experts are pointing to Craig Anderson, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson to being keys to the Senators’ success.

Anderson is a legitimate No. 1 goaltender and will be Ottawa’s rock this season.

Spezza will thrive with his new leadership responsibilities and it will reflect his play in a very positive way.

Alfredsson will not slow down as long as he stays healthy and he will make an impact on and off the ice.

While those three players are obviously big keys, the Senators can accelerate the process of taking the next step and even challenge for a playoff spot if these five things happen and happen quickly:

• 1. Peter Regin emerges as a No. 2 centre/Top 6 forward. Regin has all the skill in the world and talent- wise should be a Top 6 forward. Regin had a great camp until a shoulder injury slowed him down. If he can come back and be a dynamic offensive threat, the spinoff will be huge.

• 2. Ottawa’s veteran defencemen step up. It has been well- documented that Sergei Gonchar, Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips had tough seasons. These three vets need to be the backbone of the team and settle things down to give youngsters Erik Karlsson, Jared Cowen and David Rundblad time to grow. If all three play to their potential, everything else falls into place.

• 3. Nick Foligno takes the next step. Foligno was very good opening night vs. the Red Wings, especially with young Da Costa, but did not get rewarded on the scoresheet. The former first-rounder had an excellent camp and has the tools. He just needs to be a consistent threat, bury his chances and be a solid veteran presence.

• 4. Special teams become “special.” You can win a lot of games if you win the special teams game. Penalty killing is just hard work, being smart and getting key saves, all of which Ottawa can do. The Senators may not be deep overall, but with Spezza and Alfredsson up front and Gonchar and Karlsson quarterbacking, the power play could be very potent.

• 5. AHL champs become NHL regulars. Bobby Butler, Colin Greening and Erik Condra all had strong finishes and were good players in a shortened time span. If all three continue to develop and become dependable everyday NHL players, the Senators will get some very good bang for their buck.